OOT Letter Writing Campaign for Blu Ray release

This is something I mentioned in another thread but I really do feel it is important.

Now, we always knew that there would be a Star Wars Blu Ray. And we always ask, "will the OOT be on it?" Maybe it will, maybe it won't.

Now, however, we know that the Blu Ray is in production. It's being worked on right now and LFL representatives are publically admitting to this. And if rumors are correct, it is set for release in late 2011. We have right now the opportunity to give a big push and let them know--WE WANT THE ORIGINAL VERSIONS OF THE FILMS PROPERLY RESTORED. We have only a limited window in which to do this--they could easily change their plans and the make the OOT included in the set as late as spring 2011. After the thing is done, however, who knows how long it will be until another release. Five more years? Maybe more. We have to be aggressive and the time to do it is now.

So let's do what this site was created to do. I know we have the petition going. But let's actually start writing to Lucasfilm and letting them know how much we want it. Write them an e-mail, mail them a letter. I personally vow to send Lucasfilm a letter a month for the next 6 months asking for this to be done, and I'm going to match each letter with two e-mails. Maybe it's a bit of a long-shot. But we all know that our protests and the existance of this site had a lot to do with the decision to release the films in 2006. The problem is, we started writing them letters after it had been announced that the DVD was the 1993 DE. Let's pre-empt a disappointing announcement by helping shape what that announcement could be. There are an awful lot of us on this site and I know that our combined voices will be heard if we shout loud enough. Tell your friends, contact other websites, let's try to actually organize and do this.

Who is with me?

EDIT

The mailing address for Lucasfilm is P.O. Box 29901, San Francisco, CA 94129.

Also having a series of quotes either from George himself or people influential in the movies production which reinforce the proper preservation of the theatrical movies might make for a way to push this point. In the (AFI) American Film Institute broadcast of the Tribute to George Lucas was:

"I am very concerned about our national heritage, and I am very concerned that the films that I watched when I was young and the films that I watched throughout my life are preserved, so that my children can see them." -George Lucas"

This was 1980's George. (http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/5651949/) Not sure him and his organization is of the same opinion when it comes to their film today. The Making of books could be seen as them beginning the process of making the versions we buy equal to some historical archive version, but that's their call.

I truly believe that this will be the last realistic chance of seeing the original films available in the quality they deserve.

We really need to push this, and by that I mean press and sites like The Digital Bits and Home Theatre Forum who'd be sympathetic to 'the cause', from a film history perspective, rather than some stereotypically whiney 'fan boy' one which wouldn't get us anywhere, and people are tired of by now:

It's important not to appear pushy and demanding. Carefully state that Star Wars is part of film history and needs to be preserved and treated with the same care and respect as any other historically important film like Ben-Hur, Gone With The Wind, North By Northwest etc etc. Bring up how younger generations would likely be fascinated by seeing how the trilogy has developed over the years.

Mention also the people who did the work that went into the original FX shots (many of which were replaced with the SEs) should have their contributions recognised and preserved for future generations to appreciate.

Lastly, I think a mention of the capabilities of Blu-Ray to hold all versions of the films could be bought up. As an example mention the amazing Blade Runner 5-disc blu-ray set, as well as Close Encounters of the Third Kind, both with all their cuts included. I think the biggest 'push' for Lucasfilm would be the realisation that they'd sell FAR more copies of this if all cuts were included - something for everyone then and we're all happy, and Lucas is sitting there watching yet more cash pour in! If they just released the SE versions that are already available on DVD I don't think sales would be that amazing as people already have these versions in pretty good quality already.

The historical nature of these films really does demand a theatrical version restoration however, and I sincerely hope some bright spark at Lucasfilm has the balls to mention this to Mr Lucas. (Would he like it if one of his fav. Kurosawa films was colourised for example, and THAT became the only version available? Food for thought!).

It would help to send letters not only to LucasFilm and media outlets, but how about influential people? James Cameron is a guy who is not shy with his opinion about this - what if he got letters on this topic? Maybe he'd keep the fire burning.

What about sending letters to Speilberg or Coppola? I know GL cares about what they think.

I'm for this, it can't hurt. But I'm a little fuzzy on where everything is going on these days at Lucasfilm and who the important people are. Are they at the ranch or the big Presidio thing, Jim Ward is gone, who is his new equivalent, etc.. I would assume wherever the offices for the Clone Wars cartoon are is the place with the most activity right now. I agree it's important not to appear like a whiner or a crackpot. Hopefully, if the letters/postcards are short, polite and spell checked it won't seem too Zodiac.

A way to understand Lucasfilm's stance on this issue is to ask their Public Relations person (ok Sansweet, where does he show up next?) if LFL's view this bluray set as a complete collection or archival. (prefer the archival terminology over complete collection, but that's just me) If the response is 'No' then this campaign needs to really crank up public awareness, since the no response would lead me to believe this is a commercial venture as the DVDs originally were.

With the 2 active SW independent productions currently active (PvsG and SWUncut) that provides an easy audience to tap into to. (especially online) Conceptually PvsG is onboard, so they'd likely give this idea free press.

But I wouldn't contact them until it's figure out the stance everyone's comfortable with. When people say 'Original Theatrical Version*' a detail description should be available at the '*'. For Star Wars 77, does that include 70mm & 35mm audio? Is a crawl without Episode IV a sticking point? For TPM does that include the differences between theatrical film and the early digital projection? Does Maul not getting cut in half, be part of this list? (Please bring up all the other variations) Including the PT changes will help this cause, it'll show that it's not just OT fans wanting their 'the way we remember it' movies, but that as a group we believe in having documented proof of what we did see. Plus pulling in the PT generation to introduce them into the concept of proper and complete preservation, can't hurt.

My definition here is simple... whatever was shown in theaters at the time of release (e.g., 1977) with the various audio options available at the time.

That means he needs to do a little bit more than, for example, just slapping the laserdisk on there. That's not what was shown in theaters, and would fail to include all of the essential audio alternatives.... 70mm, 35mm, mono, etc. It means ensuring that an original print (or negative) is restored without enhanced or corrected effects, even minor ones -- same for audio.

We are an original trilogy forum, so I think our request should be limited to what we consider to be the original theatrical form of the original trilogy. Whatever other "enhanced" crap he wants to include is fine with me, just so long as the theatrical form is intact and unaltered, with a reasonable selection of audio versions from the same timeframe. Any other requests just complicates things.

Yeah, that seems to be the only address I can find as well. Other sites list totally different addresses, but with all the moving and re-structuring Lucasfilm has done in the last decade I would say those no longer exist.

But then I grew up with the 1982 CED/Videodisc release recorded to a VHS in LP mode. Where's my release?! ;-)

There have been so many damn versions, here's what I'd like to see.

The 2010 SE Superhyperhybidmegacut. Lucas's latest madness.

A fully-restored 1977 theatrical edition... ideally with an option of either of the original two sound-mixes.

If those were available... the "best" of Lucas's modern cutting edge interpretation and also the actual film that was nomitated for Best Picture, I'd be satisfied, and Lucasfilm would have another big chunk of my money.

May the 4th (be with you day) is coming up. Good time to launch a twitter or facebook page which points everyone to the petition and letter writing campaign.

*** EDIT ***

To drawn in public support a deadline could be placed, starting May 4th through May 25th we try to see if we can get the current petition (currently just under 1,500) to dramatically increase, (10,000? is there a SW significant number in that range which would get people excited in reaching, surpassing the old petition maybe?) to show LFL that the public wants this. After May, there's only about 6 months of working time (3-4 months of physical disc production) for them to hit the Spring 2011 deadline.

There is a facebook group called "I will not buy Star Wars on blu-ray unless it has the original edition."

I'd like to upload the Blu, Not Blue image of Yoda to other facebook groups for cross promotion but I seem to be having trouble adding it among the other fan photos in the Star Wars page. Anybody know if there's a new trick to uploading photos to a fan page on facebook?

Red Letter Media has mentioned in his reviews that he finds the special editions annoying. I don't think he would mind if someone did a poster for the original versions with one of his taglines.